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Exploring the National Parks

Exploring the National Parks

By: Dirt In My Shoes
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Join Ash and John from Dirt In My Shoes as we explore America’s National Parks! We’re taking you around the national parks and talking about our favorite things, fun facts, adventures, and trip planning. Expect big laughs and fantastic information as we tour the parks together. Let’s start exploring!Dirt In My Shoes, LLC Biological Sciences Science Social Sciences Travel Writing & Commentary
Episodes
  • 140: 5 Fascinating Fun Facts about Wind Cave National Park

    140: 5 Fascinating Fun Facts about Wind Cave National Park
    Mar 18 2026

    Wind Cave National Park is one of the most surprising, mysterious, and underrated parks in the Black Hills. Today we are diving into Wind Cave fun facts that will completely change the way you see this small-on-the-surface but massive-underground national park.

    In this episode, we cover:

    • Why Wind Cave National Park gets bypassed, and why we think it should not
    • The human history that makes Wind Cave feel like an adventure story, including the cave’s Lakota name, Maka Oniye, or “Breathing Earth”
    • The teen explorer who mapped the first miles of the cave with string, candlelight, and a whole lot of bravery
    • The rare cave formations Wind Cave is famous for, including boxwork and giant helictite bushes
    • The secret behind the wind, and why scientists think we have only discovered about 10% of the cave so far

    Your task for today:

    Spend 15 to 20 minutes on the Wind Cave National Park Service website and look up one thing we talked about, like the Lakota emergence story, Alvin McDonald’s diary entries, or the cave formation photos.

    Don’t miss the full show notes packed with all the links we mentioned so you can plan your adventures like a pro: https://www.dirtinmyshoes.com/5-fascinating-fun-facts-about-wind-cave-national-park/

    Planning your own Wind Cave National Park adventure?

    • Dirt in My Shoes South Dakota Itinerary: https://shop.dirtinmyshoes.com/products/south-dakota-itinerary
    • Dirt In My Shoes Wind Cave National Park Planning Resources: https://www.dirtinmyshoes.com/wind-cave-national-park/
    • Episode 135: 139: Exploring Wind Cave National Park: Best Tips + Activities: https://www.dirtinmyshoes.com/exploring-wind-cave-national-park-best-tips-activities/
    • Episode 29: The Black Hills (Wind Cave, Custer State Park, Wind Cave, and more!): https://www.dirtinmyshoes.com/29-the-black-hills-wind-cave-custer-state-park-jewel-cave-and-more/
    • Master Reservation List: https://www.dirtinmyshoes.com/list/
    • National Park Checklist: https://www.dirtinmyshoes.com/national-parks-checklist/
    • Trip Packing List: https://www.dirtinmyshoes.com/pack/
    Show more Show less
    1 hr and 12 mins
  • 139: Exploring Wind Cave National Park: Best Tips + Activities

    139: Exploring Wind Cave National Park: Best Tips + Activities
    Mar 4 2026

    Wind Cave National Park is one of the most underrated stops in the Black Hills, and it is absolutely worth digging a little deeper for. Come with us into the prairies of South Dakota for rare cave beauty, bison sightings, and the kind of quiet that makes you exhale.

    In this episode, we cover:

    • Why Wind Cave is so underrated, and why I recommend it even when people say Jewel Cave is “prettier”
    • How to get cave tour tickets (and why you should not wait until the day of)
    • Which three tours to choose from as a first time visitor, plus options for special tours
    • What to expect on your tour (temperature, what you can and cannot bring, and tips if you have kids)
    • Easy, high reward things to do above ground, including wildlife drives, a short scenic hike, and a quick trip to Hot Springs

    Your task for today: Have you been to Wind Cave National Park? Tell us what you loved, and share your best photos (because this park is famously hard to photograph!). Head over to our post on the @DirtInMyShoes Facebook or Instagram page and share with us!

    Don’t miss the full show notes packed with all the links we mentioned so you can plan your adventures like a pro: https://www.dirtinmyshoes.com/exploring-wind-cave-national-park-best-tips-activities/

    Planning your own Wind Cave National Park adventure?

    • Dirt in My Shoes South Dakota Itinerary: https://shop.dirtinmyshoes.com/products/south-dakota-itinerary
    • Dirt In My Shoes Wind Cave National Park Planning Resources: https://www.dirtinmyshoes.com/wind-cave-national-park/
    • Episode 29: The Black Hills (Wind Cave, Custer State Park, Wind Cave, and more!): https://www.dirtinmyshoes.com/29-the-black-hills-wind-cave-custer-state-park-jewel-cave-and-more/
    • Master Reservation List: https://www.dirtinmyshoes.com/list/
    • National Park Checklist: https://www.dirtinmyshoes.com/national-parks-checklist/
    • Trip Packing List: https://www.dirtinmyshoes.com/pack/
    Show more Show less
    47 mins
  • 138: 5 Incredible Fun Facts about Arizona’s Saguaro National Park

    138: 5 Incredible Fun Facts about Arizona’s Saguaro National Park
    Feb 18 2026

    Cactus, sunshine, and desert drama: this is the episode where we go all in on the most iconic plant of the American West. Saguaro National Park is bursting with towering giants and incredible stories of survival, and we’re digging into all of it!

    In this episode, we cover:

    • Why the saguaro cactus is an American icon (and possibly a giant green lightsaber)
    • What makes saguaros so tough, and why they only grow in certain parts of the desert
    • The mind-blowing slow growth of a baby saguaro, and how nurse trees help them survive
    • The park's wild history of cactus rustling and near collapse
    • How the saguaro population is finally bouncing back

    Your task for today: Visit Saguaro National Park’s Facebook or Instagram and thank a ranger! Their work protects plants that won’t even reach full height in their lifetimes, and it’s incredible.

    Don’t miss the full show notes packed with all the links we mentioned so you can plan your adventures like a pro: https://www.dirtinmyshoes.com/5-incredible-fun-facts-about-arizonas-saguaro-national-park/

    Planning your own Saguaro National Park adventure?

    • Episode 136: Exploring Saguaro National Park: Best Tips + Activities: https://www.dirtinmyshoes.com/136-exploring-saguaro-national-park-best-tips-activities/
    • 5 Things You Can’t Miss on Your First Visit to Saguaro: https://www.dirtinmyshoes.com/5-things-cant-miss-first-visit-saguaro/
    • 8 Day Spring Break National Parks Road Trip!: https://www.dirtinmyshoes.com/8-day-spring-break-national-parks-road-trip/
    • Master Reservation List: https://www.dirtinmyshoes.com/list/
    • National Park Checklist: https://www.dirtinmyshoes.com/national-parks-checklist/
    • Trip Packing List: https://www.dirtinmyshoes.com/pack/
    Show more Show less
    1 hr and 6 mins
All stars
Most relevant
A lot of useful information you may need before visiting national parks. They have great ideas on road trip planning to include multiple parks in one trip.

Great source of information for NP trip planning

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Ash and John are adorable, and clearly love what they do. If you love the parks, and enjoy getting into the weeds a bit with trip planning guidance and relevant (and/or amusing) "fun facts" about the wildlife, botany, geology, or cultural heritage of the places your NPS checklist, then give these guys a listen. Note: Ash seems very intentional in finding a reasonable balance between what she shares on the podcast vs the content that is only available on her website. She provides a generous amount of free resources on her website as well, and the paid content seems to be well researched and a good value. Although this podcast is clearly intended to drive traffic to the website (it is their source of income, after all!), Ash and John are careful to not be overly heavy handed with the self-promoting in the way that some podcasts can be. Ash comes across as warm, thoughtful, diligent, playful, equal parts adventurous and cautious, and perky in a way that you will either find delightful or off-putting, depending of your personality. If you are in the later category, than this podcast probably isn't for you, and frankly, that's your loss. John comes across as eager, generous, kind, humble, quirky, and bursting with thoughts and connections that he wants to share. John can also seem a little bumbly and naive some times, but also eager to grow and learn. For instance, on a recent episode, he seemed a bit awkward and tone deaf (but clearly well intentioned!) during the interview with the ranger from Grand Canyon, whereas Ash seemed more comfortable and experienced having conversations of a potentially sensitive nature. But, hey, experience is how we learn, right? John also loves to draw circuitous connections and parallels to the sort of pop culture references that nerds (especially Millennial nerds!) may particularly enjoy- Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, Back to the Future, Pokémon, Indiana Jones, 80s and 90s tv shows, superhero lore, etc, etc. Sometimes his analogies are apt and incisive, and other times they can be a little silly and over wrought, but his earnestness and enthusiasm will hopefully win you over if you don't mind the occasional detour. All that to say, these guys are really sweet and helpful, and feel like the sort of hiking buddies that I'd like to introduce to other like minded folks. I hope you feel the same.

Useful, upbeat, and nerdy in all the right ways

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